Cleveland Browns Expected To Pursue Legendary NFL Wide Receiver in Free Agency

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said the team would be more aggressive in free agency than they had been in previous seasons.

How aggressive? The Browns will have to wait until Monday’s legal tampering period, which opens at noon. Cleveland is expected to address key needs on their offense, including the offensive line and wide receiver groups.

But according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Berry might have a big swing in him.

The Browns are expected to pursue Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agent wide receiver Mike Evans, who is well on his way to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Evans will have plenty of suitors, but new Browns head coach Todd Monken was his offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay from 2016-2018. During that timeframe, Evans had three 1,000 yard seasons and was a Pro Bowler twice. Cabot notes that in addition to serving as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator, he also coached the wide receivers for his first two seasons there and developed a relationship with Evans.

Could the Browns realistically sign Evans?

At the NFL Combine, Monken accurately noted that free agency typically comes down to which team will pay a player the most amount of money.

If the price is right, Evans would be an immediate upgrade for Cleveland’s league-worst offense.

Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led the Browns in receiving last year. Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond were all wildly inconsistent targets for whoever was playing quarterback. Evans immediately solves that problem. He had over 1,000 yards receiving in his first 11 seasons in the NFL. Last season, Evans saw that streak snap due to a season-ending collarbone injury, but still caught 30 passes for just under 400 yards and three touchdowns.

The Browns typically won’t chase wide receivers who are 32 years old, but Monken’s relationship with Evans could make this situation an outlier. Not to mention, the Browns are not in a position to turn their nose up at talented players on the offensive side of the ball.

It’s likely that Berry will hope that the Browns can get Evans on the cheap. But in the probable outcome that does not happen, the Browns will have plenty of other options.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed helped win a Super Bowl as a reliable deep threat option and dynamic punt returner. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III is another realistic name to keep an eye on.

The Browns have No. 6 and No. 24 overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. If they can address a few spots on their offensive line in free agency, it’s likely that Berry will be able to make a younger and cheaper splash at wide receiver.